David Touchon, The Cibolo Land Manager
Working with the land is not just common toil upon the land but rather a running conversation. Thoughtful interactions upon the land lead to highly specific tasks that naturally lead to other areas of focus. Much of the work that I have done over the last five years has been purely observational with great guidance from the Land Management plan and a healthy dose of creativity! Over time there have been many great victories, thought-provoking trials and countless learning opportunities. It is necessary to note that the dichotomous growth and seasonal variations of the wildlands serve as a constant guide for future proofing the health of natural areas.
Spring blooms and fresh leaves throughout the wildlands cleverly hide the telltale evidence of heavy dark season field work. Seeds planted months ago emerge from the cold darkness and grow towards the light. Native grasses and wildflowers give you hints of preferred growth habitats and remind us of their humorous beauty.
Summer is the season of observation and lightly guided corrective actions. Targeted access points along Cibolo Creek allow visitors access to the natural beauty of the creek while making note of future “steering” opportunities.
Fall in the woodlands is an amazing spectacle of change. Turning leaves and dry grass tell a tale of seasonal success over many years of intentional nudging. The presence of seeds in the fall of the year is proof that the system works and sets the stage for the cooler seasons of the year, not to mention seed gleaning!
So, how is this accomplished? People! Well-instructed staff, volunteers and guests enact carefully planned approaches that help promote the natural wildness of the Cibolo Center for Conservation within the bourgeoning urban interface. When working upon the land, many people envision large machinery and immediate change. Quite the opposite! Much of the work that has been accomplished upon the land involves the smallest of tools and imaginative solutions. Multiple incremental changes in many areas build upon the mosaic approach to healthy functioning lands.
Tools upon the land can vary greatly and have highly specific purposes but I tend to keep it simple. You only need five tools to accomplish many things! The ability to cut and reduce is a primary need so a Chainsaw and Lopping Shears are the perfect choice! Diminutive digging is a common activity on the land so having a well-appointed Round-headed Shovel and Garden Hoe is pretty much the perfect tool for digging, dragging, scraping, hacking and mixing. The final tool that I will mention is the Angle Grinder which services countless projects in a cosmic manner.
Some of the major land projects that have occurred over the last year might include re-brushing/brush fencing at the Cibolo and Sisterdale sanctuary, aqua-logging large stands of Ligustrum on upper Cibolo Creek, riparian seeding of East Sistercreek, browse caging installation at the Cibolo and Sisterdale Sanctuary, Addison Schuepbach’s Eagle Scout Hibernaculum project, Carter Carrol’s Eagle Scout project of planting 42 trees in riparian restoration three, 18 new nesting boxes, expanded fenced area of the Big Red Sage plot, Baccharis management on the Cibolo Prairie, “High Deck” mowing of all prairie areas, and much more!
I was asked to write this article as a Wishlist of sorts for possible tool and equipment donation but to tell you the truth, we need more gloves! Caring for the land does not need to be overly complex or difficult since people have been doing it for thousands and we are only borrowing the land for a little while. See you in the woods!
